Emmanuel Macron

News Highlights: Sathyanarayana Beleri, a Rice farmer from Kasaragod who evolved into a guardian of paddy crops by preserving over 650 traditional rice varieties, to receive Padma Shri in the field of Others (Agriculture Cereal Rice).

In June 2022, India and the EU restarted the negotiations for the long-pending trade and investment agreement, after a gap of over eight years.

In the national capital, the Republic Day Parade, featuring regiments of Army, Navy, Air Force, police and paramilitary forces, will be held at the Kartavya Path.

Macron was speaking at a wide-ranging news conference where he addressed an array of domestic and international issues for more than two hours.

More than three years before the end of his term, Macron is trying to bring in fresh faces and ideas after appointing a new centrist government last week led by France's youngest-ever prime minister.

Gabriel Attal brings a distinct change of style to the prime minister's office compared to his predecessor, Elisabeth Borne.

The move will not necessarily lead to any major political shift, but signals a desire for Macron to try to move beyond last year's unpopular pension and immigration reforms and improve his centrist party's chances in the June EU ballot.

"Only once in a century does one host Olympic and Paralympic Games, only once in a millennium does one rebuild a cathedral," Macron said. "2024, a year of determination, choices, recovery, pride. In fact, a year of hope."

India had invited US President Joe Biden to grace the occasion but he expressed inability to travel to New Delhi in January.

The government in Paris has taken a key role in driving the policy shift, according to people familiar with its thinking, calculating that inaction now would put the bloc’s economy on a path to long-term damage.

Cameras linked to AI-assisted software are set to be deployed, capable of detecting potential dangers and suspicious movements that alert police to problems developing before they are visible to officers on the ground.

'President Macron eagerly took a selfie for us while our Honorable Prime Minister very graciously and sweetly stood up to be part of it...' actor Madhavan recalled.

French President Emmanuel Macron can be seen tapping away and 'vibing' with the song as PM Modi smiled and nodded along to French performers singing the Oscar-winning Hindi song from 'Slumdog Millionaire'.

Thanking PM Modi for the recognition, Gupta wrote, “I used to see second and third gen entrepreneurs at state visits as official delegation with the Prime Minister but now new age entrepreneurs like myself are also being invited on such visits.

Grammy-winning composer Ricky Kej attended the banquet dinner that French President Emmanuel Macron hosted for PM Narendra Modi at the Louvre Museum in France.

India and France also announced major collaboration in the space sector by stepping up cooperation in space-based maritime awareness and inking the implementing agreement for a joint earth observation satellite - Trishna - to monitor temperatures on earth and oceans and study climate change.

After wide-ranging talks between Modi and Macron, the two sides came out with the "India-France Indo-Pacific Roadmap" and asserted that they believe in a free, open, inclusive, and secure the Indo-Pacific region.

PM Modi, in Paris on a two-day official visit, said bold and ambitious goals on the anvil as the two countries adopted 'Horizon 2047: 25th Anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership, Towards A Century of India-France Relations' document.

Observing that India and France have completed 25 years of strategic partnership, PM Modi said the business leaders of the two countries have played a big role in the long journey.

There was no word on the much-anticipated procurement of 26 naval variants of Rafale fighter jets by India from France.